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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/19/eu-briefing-what-you-need-to-know-overnight-brussels-talks
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| EU briefing: what you need to know about overnight Brussels talks | EU briefing: what you need to know about overnight Brussels talks |
| (7 months later) | |
| Talks in Brussels on the future of the UK within the EU have continued throughout Thursday night into Friday, with British prime minister David Cameron leaving a bilateral meeting at 5.30am CET (4.30am GMT) – giving no word on the progress of the discussions. | Talks in Brussels on the future of the UK within the EU have continued throughout Thursday night into Friday, with British prime minister David Cameron leaving a bilateral meeting at 5.30am CET (4.30am GMT) – giving no word on the progress of the discussions. |
| Who met with whom? | Who met with whom? |
| European Council president – and key broker – Donald Tusk, along with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker held late-night bilateral talks with several leaders crucial to the UK/EU deal: | European Council president – and key broker – Donald Tusk, along with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker held late-night bilateral talks with several leaders crucial to the UK/EU deal: |
| A proposal, drawn up by the Belgians and supported by the French, seeks to impose a condition that Britain could not try to renegotiate further its terms of membership if it were to vote to leave the EU. | A proposal, drawn up by the Belgians and supported by the French, seeks to impose a condition that Britain could not try to renegotiate further its terms of membership if it were to vote to leave the EU. |
| What David Cameron said | What David Cameron said |
| Post-bilateral talks, nothing … yet. | Post-bilateral talks, nothing … yet. |
| What Donald Tusk said | What Donald Tusk said |
| In a brief press conference in the early hours of Friday, before he headed into bilateral talks with Cameron, Tusk told reporters: | In a brief press conference in the early hours of Friday, before he headed into bilateral talks with Cameron, Tusk told reporters: |
| We have made some progress but a lot still remains to be done. | We have made some progress but a lot still remains to be done. |
| What the other leaders said | What the other leaders said |
| Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said there had been: | Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said there had been: |
| some timid steps forward on migration, some steps back on a UK deal … | some timid steps forward on migration, some steps back on a UK deal … |
| I’m always confident, but a bit less optimistic than when I arrived. | I’m always confident, but a bit less optimistic than when I arrived. |
| Finnish PM Juha Sipilä suggested an agreement would be struck by Friday: | Finnish PM Juha Sipilä suggested an agreement would be struck by Friday: |
| The European Council debate on migration is coming to an end. Then UK negotiations continue. The project should be ready by morning. | The European Council debate on migration is coming to an end. Then UK negotiations continue. The project should be ready by morning. |
| Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy said: | Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy said: |
| I think it is going well. I hope that tomorrow [Friday] we will have a deal. | I think it is going well. I hope that tomorrow [Friday] we will have a deal. |
| But Dutch PM Mark Rutte raised the possibility of talks on a UK deal running into Saturday and Irish taoiseach Enda Kenny warned: | But Dutch PM Mark Rutte raised the possibility of talks on a UK deal running into Saturday and Irish taoiseach Enda Kenny warned: |
| It might take longer than they think. | It might take longer than they think. |
| Support for Cameron came from German chancellor Angela Merkel, who said: | Support for Cameron came from German chancellor Angela Merkel, who said: |
| The agreement’s not easy to take for many but good will is there. We are ready to compromise because advantages are higher than disadvantages when there is Brexit. | The agreement’s not easy to take for many but good will is there. We are ready to compromise because advantages are higher than disadvantages when there is Brexit. |
| But Merkel did add that discussions on Europe’s migration crisis were the “priority” for the summit: | But Merkel did add that discussions on Europe’s migration crisis were the “priority” for the summit: |
| The important statement for me today is that we have not only reaffirmed the EU-Turkey action plan, but we have said it is our priority. | The important statement for me today is that we have not only reaffirmed the EU-Turkey action plan, but we have said it is our priority. |
| What are the sticking points? | What are the sticking points? |
| Four key questions need to be thrashed out: | Four key questions need to be thrashed out: |
| The emergency brake | The emergency brake |
| How long could Britain impose the emergency brake to restrict in-work benefits for EU migrants in the UK? This has been complicated by questions over whether other member countries might want to adopt the scheme. | How long could Britain impose the emergency brake to restrict in-work benefits for EU migrants in the UK? This has been complicated by questions over whether other member countries might want to adopt the scheme. |
| Curbs on benefits | Curbs on benefits |
| There is disagreement – particularly from Poland – over UK efforts to restrict child benefit paid to EU workers within the UK whose children live in their home country. Also a bone of contention is whether any curbs should be applied retrospectively to EU migrants already in the UK. | There is disagreement – particularly from Poland – over UK efforts to restrict child benefit paid to EU workers within the UK whose children live in their home country. Also a bone of contention is whether any curbs should be applied retrospectively to EU migrants already in the UK. |
| ‘Ever-closer union’ | ‘Ever-closer union’ |
| Britain wants a treaty change to formalise the UK’s exemption from the EU’s founding declaration to forge an ever-closer union among the peoples of Europe. Some countries think the formal opt-out should be sufficient. | Britain wants a treaty change to formalise the UK’s exemption from the EU’s founding declaration to forge an ever-closer union among the peoples of Europe. Some countries think the formal opt-out should be sufficient. |
| Financial regulation | Financial regulation |
| The UK seeks a further treaty change to underpin protections for non-eurozone members in the single market – opposed by France, which is said to see the move as a restriction on the eurozone and “special protection” for the City of London. | The UK seeks a further treaty change to underpin protections for non-eurozone members in the single market – opposed by France, which is said to see the move as a restriction on the eurozone and “special protection” for the City of London. |
| What happens next? | What happens next? |
| Full discussions between the leaders are due to resume within hours, although earlier spin-off talks are mooted to include a meeting between Germany’s Angela Merkel, France’s François Hollande and Greece’s Alexis Tsipras. | Full discussions between the leaders are due to resume within hours, although earlier spin-off talks are mooted to include a meeting between Germany’s Angela Merkel, France’s François Hollande and Greece’s Alexis Tsipras. |
| The big question | The big question |
| Where did the union flag go? From the discussion on Thursday … | Where did the union flag go? From the discussion on Thursday … |
| … to the dead-of-night talks in the early hours of Friday. | … to the dead-of-night talks in the early hours of Friday. |
| Answers on a postcard with a stamp bearing Her Majesty’s head, please. | Answers on a postcard with a stamp bearing Her Majesty’s head, please. |